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Podcast

MOV052: “ZeroCool”

In this 52nd Reel, the boys go back in time to revisit “Hackers”. Does it still hold up today? As for what’s currently in the theater, they tackle “Thor” (and they like it! 😉 – haha!). Does it hold up to the plethora of comic book movies that are out there and coming up? Then, speaking of comic book movies, the boys check out the multitude of trailers for “X-men: First Class”. Do any of them actually excite the guys? All this and movie news including updates on the plot of “Expendables 2”, David Hasselhoff in he next “Piranha” movie, “Amityville Horror” goes 3-D, and “Dinosaurs vs. Aliens”? Pikachu…we choose you!!

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News:

The Past: Hackers (1995)

Rotten Tomatoes: 32% Rotten; 66% Audience

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Director: Iain Softly

Starring: Jonny Lee Miller, Matthew Lillard,Lawrance Mason, Angelina Jolie, Fisher Stevens

Trivia:

  • The high school scenes were filmed at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, one of a few elite, exclusive high schools for students gifted in math, science and computers. Real school seniors were extras in many scenes. In the real school, the pool is on the first floor.
  • The computer they break into is a fictional mainframe computer called a “Gibson” – a homage to cyberpunk author William Gibson.
  • The character name “Emmanuel Goldstein” is taken from George Orwell’s novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four”. It is also used as a pseudonym by Emmanuel Goldstein aka Eric Corley, who publishes the magazine “2600, The Hacker Quarterly”. Corley was an uncredited consultant for this film.
  • The “Hacker Manifesto” read by Agent Bob was actually written by a hacker of great renown in the 1980s named Loyd Blankenship, who went by the name of The Mentor. It was published in PHRACK magazine, issue 07, file 03 in 1986.
  • Eugene Belford uses the pseudonym Babbage at the end of the film. Charles Babbage was the inventor of an early form of the computer.
  • Jonny Lee Miller and Angelina Jolie were married shortly after the making of the film, and then were divorced four years later.
  • Around the movie’s release, the official website was modified by its webmasters to appear that it had been “hacked into,” and digital graffiti and instructions to “see ‘The Net’ instead” was added to the site’s graphics.
  • All of the hacker handles proposed by the Joey were actual handles already used by real hackers.
  • The game being played in the arcade is a high-quality prototype of the Playstation game “Wipeout” by Psygnosis. It is done on a high-end SGI server and allowed the development team to try out tracks and gameplay, before porting it to the Playstation. As a result, there are features and graphics in the movie that do not exist in the actual game, including the “high score smashing” sequence.
  • The “hacking”-sequences – the scenes where you see the “inside” of a computer – are mostly motion-controlled models, because director Iain Softley thought that actual computer graphics would look too artificial.
  • The poster for this movie shows Acid Burn and Crash Override with various words and ASCII symbols transposed on their faces. Amongst the words are: – 1. Names of hackers in the movie, including Lord Nikon, Acid Burn, and Crash Override – 2. Some of the commonly-used passwords, according to Plague, such as God, Sex, Love, and Secret – 3. Phreak – a “phone freak” – a hacker who concentrates their knowledge on telephone systems. (Phantom Phreak was the main Phreaker in the hacker group)
  • Cyberdelia was built from scratch in an abandoned indoor swimming pool on the outskirts of London, with the center of the club in the depths of what was the pool. Producer Ralph Winter notes, “We never knew why, but the pool was designated an historic landmark, so great care had to be taken not to damage anything and to return it to its original state.”
  • The part of Kate “Acid Burn” Libby was originally offered to Katherine Heigl, but due to prior commitments to Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995) had to turn it down. The director auditioned Hilary Swank, Heather Graham and Liv Tyler for the role which ultimately went to Angelina Jolie.
  • At the beginning of the movie when Dade phones the security desk of the television station he is hacking in to he gives the name of Eddie Vedder, the singer of the rock band Pearl Jam.
  • The distinctive ring Kate Libby wears is the “Original Armour Ring” by jewelry designer Marche’ Noir.
  • The film’s writer, director, and some cast members attended the New York City 2600 meeting, a monthly hangout of the local hacker community, to observe and talk with real-life hackers.

Talking Points:

  • The competition

What We’ve Learned:

  • God gave men brains larger than dogs so they wouldn’t hump women’s legs at cocktail parties
  • Spandex is privilege not a right.
  • You wanna be elite you gotta pull a righteous hack
  • Hacking is more than a crime, its a survival trait
  • It’s in that place where I put that thing that time
  • There is no right and wrong, only fun and boring
  • Hackers used a lot of hard copy back in 1995.
  • HACK THE PLANET.

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Totally unrealistic nerdy film. I adore it. Way dated though.
Ray: The Movie that made it “Cool” to be a computer nerd…. love it, although the tech aspect of this movie really dates it
Steve: Dated, but not as cool as other early computer-based movies like WarGames. To be honest, is early EMO to me. Not my fav, but others may like.

Intermission: Top 5 Computer Themed Films

  1. Tron
  2. WarGames
  3. The Matrix
  4. 2001: A Space Odessey
  5. Hackers

The Present: Thor
Rotten Tomatoes: 78% Fresh; 83% Audience

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Hiddleston, Stellen Skarsgarrd

Trivia:

  • Comic writer Stan Lee who created Thor in 1962, appears as the truck driver who attempts to tow Mjolnir out of the crater it landed in… and fails miserably.
  • This is Anthony Hopkins’s first comic book film. He was previously offered the role of Alfred in Batman Begins (2005).
  • The Eye of Agamotto, a very powerful magical amulet, can be seen in Odin’s treasure room. This was a weapon wielded by a Marvel hero, Doctor Strange the Sorcerer Supreme.
  • According to producer Kevin Feige, the Bifrost bridge is the films’s most interesting set: “In the comics, it’s literally a rainbow that extends out from Asgard and pops down on Earth. We’re not necessarily doing that; we’re not having the big hard solid lines of colors. We’re saying it’s some sort of energy, almost a solid quartz bridge that as the light catches it and flows through it, you get some of that rainbow-esque quality to it.”
  • Anthony Hopkins signed on as Odin despite never reading a “Thor” comic or knowing anything about the Thor mythology. It was the concept of the father and son relationship that intrigued him about the role.
  • To prepare for his role as Loki, Tom Hiddleston trained in the Brazilian martial art of capoeira.
  • Thor holds a drawing of a crossroads with nine orbs in it. This is his perception and representation of Yggdrasil, in Norse mythology a great tree around which the nine worlds are tethered, making up the universe.
  • A model of the Infinity Gauntlet, an all powerful weapon capable of controlling aspects of reality (soul, time, space, power & mind) in the “Marvel Comics” universe, was constructed for this film. The model is made from bronze and copper (with jewels made from resin) and weighs 60 pounds. It was built to be operational so that animatronics could be built on it.

Talking Points:

  • There was very little exposition for a origin story film
  • Story – what you expected?
  • Natalie Portman…good or bad?
  • Loki looks like Johnny Weir
  • Chris Hemsworth..hottie or nottie?

What We Learned:

  • What you need is a rainbow bridge
  • I need sustenance!
  • A pet store is not the place to get a horse

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: I really liked it, not the best Marvel movie but not bad at all.
Ray: Tolerable, one of the weaker marvel movies as far as story goes. Don’t waste your money on 3D. Can we have the Avengers already?
Steve: Enjoyed it…was much more pleased than I thought I would be going in. Definitely worth a look…3D unnecessary.

The Future: X-Men: First Class

Director: Chris Miller

Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Rose Byrne, January Jones, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Kevin Bacon, Lucas Till, Zoë Kravitz, Jason Flemyng, Edi Fathegi

Trivia:

  • Bryan Singer, who directed X-Men (2000) and X2 (2003), was approached to direct this film in October 2009, but in March 2010 declined due to his commitment to Jack the Giant Killer (2012) and was replaced with Matthew Vaughn in May 2010. Singer however stayed on as producer.
  • Taylor Lautner was considered to play Hank McCoy (aka Beast) but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Nicholas Hoult was later cast.
  • The uniforms the X-Men wear are colored blue and yellow, in homage to the original blue/yellow suits the X-Men wore in the comics from 1963 (their debut) to 2001 (when X-Men (2000) inspired a change to black leather).
  • Filming was originally to take place on Tybee Island, but a producer browsing on the online map program Google Earth found Jekyll Island to be a more suitable location.
  • Sirs Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen were considered to appear in the film as the elder Professor X and Magneto, but the idea was rejected as the filmmakers wanted to start a new X-Men trilogy, without any connection to the previous films.
  • A telepathic battle between Professor X and Emma Frost was going to be in the film, but upon the release of Inception (2010) the concept was scrapped.
  • This is the first X-Film without Wolverine or Cyclops.
  • Matthew Vaughn instructed the cast to do away with all accents in their performances. James McAvoy had planned to copy Patrick Stewart’s voice (since McAvoy was going to play a younger version of Stewart’s Xavier), but Vaughn quashed it; Vaughn also told Rose Byrne that Moira MacTaggart would not have her trademark Scottish accent in the film (to the Scottish McAvoy’s mild disappointment).

Talking Points:

  • How many versions of this trailer are there?
  • Trailer at least acknowledges the previous films, which I’m surprised at.

Summary:

Before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were archenemies, they were closest of friends, working together, with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. In the process, a rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-MEN.

Trailer:

TRAILER #1:

TRAILER #2:

TRAILER #3: International

Excitement:
Jeff: Stoked, but I’m easily stoked when it comes to comic book movies.
Ray: I am skeptical.. X3 really left a bad taste in mouth.. hopefully by going back to the past they can fix what they mucked up in the future.
Steve: Seems like it’s something I’ll like…origins of several characters versus a single movie on one. I’m down for it!

Coming Attractions

The Past
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The Present

The Future

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Podcast

MOV019: “Now I ain’t cheap, but I can be had.”

Super 8 starts filming, Superhero news, Romancing The Stone, Alpha & Omega, and It’s Kind of A Funny Story.

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News:

The Past: Romancing the Stone (1984)

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Director: Robert Zemekis

Starring: Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito

Trivia:

  • The phrase “Romancing the Stone” is a piece of jewelers’ jargon, referring to a step in preparing a gem for use in jewelery.
  • Although, upon its release, comparisons to Raiders of the Lost Ark were inevitable (Time magazine called the movie “a distaff Raiders rip-off”), the screenplay for Romancing had actually been written five years earlier. It was written by a Malibu waitress named Diane Thomas in what would end up being her only screenplay; she died in a car crash shortly after the film’s release. Though Thomas received solo writing credit, several uncredited script doctors helped to refine the film’s screenplay.
  • The water taxi Joan Wilder rides to meet Ira is named “The Orca,” which is also the name of Quint’s boat in Jaws (1975). Jaws director Steven Spielberg produced director Robert Zemeckis’ previous film, Used Cars (1980). Zemeckis also co-wrote Spielberg’s 1941 (1979) which features a “Jaws” parody.
    Alan Silvestri was hired to do a temporary score for the film, but director Robert Zemeckis liked his work so much that he kept him on as composer.
  • At the beginning of the movie, when Joan Wilder has finished the book, she prepares “dinner” for her cat. This scene resembles a well-known commercial for cat-food.
  • The treasure map that is integral to the movie was designed by puzzle columnist Dr. Crypton.
  • In the English version of the film, Gloria speaks of “Macy’s” as the department store where Joan gets sick. The German edition of this movie says “Bloomingdale’s” instead of “Macy’s”. Gloria says “Bloomingdale’s” on the English audio of the DVD.
  • Reports of kidnappings in Colombia forced the location shoots to be done in Mexico.
  • The Eddy Grant song “Romancing the Stone” did not feature prominently in the film (the guitar solo can be heard in the background of the scene where Joan and Jack enter the house of her “fan,” Juan) and was not included on the soundtrack album. Although he was commisioned to write the song for the movie, the filmmakers chose not to use it. When the movie was released and proved to be a big hit, Eddy released the song on his own. One of the video clips of the song, however, makes prominent use of footage from various scenes from the film.
  • Both Sylvester Stallone and Christopher Reeve turned down the role of Jack T. Colton, before Michael Douglas accepted the part.
  • The stunt double for Kathleen Turner who did the actual mud slide scene was Jeannie Epper who was also the stunt body double for actress Lynda Carter on the “The New Adventures of Wonder Woman” (1975) television series.
  • Director Robert Zemeckis asked Danny DeVito to shoot a special promo for the movie. It was to be filmed on a Malibu beach, next to a tall cliff. For the promo, DeVito was strapped into a harness and hoisted fifty feet in the air by a huge crane. When he was in the air, DeVito discovered that there was a house on top of the cliff, with a swimming pool terrace outside. A woman in a bikini was lying on a deck chair next to the pool. She jumped up and began screaming at DeVito, yelling that he was a “peeping Tom”, and that she was going to call the police. In a panic, DeVito yelled for the film crew to bring him down at once. The film crew told him that the crane had jammed, and DeVito was left hanging in the air with the screaming woman throwing things at him from the top of the cliff. A few minutes later, the woman told DeVito that he was being filmed for a segment of the TV show, “TV’s Bloopers and Practical Jokes”.
  • When Jack is rummaging through his destroyed Jeep he throws out a couple of magazines including the July 1983 issue of Playboy before finding the picture of his dream yacht.
  • The white car driven by Ralph is a RENAULT 4L. Wich in Colombia back then it was the highest selling car in the country and it was known as the “faithful friend” (El amigo fiel) in the TV commercials for the car.
    Director trademark: panning across part of a room with a loudly ticking clock to a ringing phone (also found in Back to the Future and Amazing Stories Book Two: Go to the Head of the Class).
  • The Rolling Stone that Jack finds in the dead pilot’s bag is the September 9, 1982 edition, featuring Elvis Costello on the cover.
  • The scene in which Joan Wilder offers to pay Jack T. Colton in traveler’s checks and he asks if they are American Express is a reference to the American Express commercials featuring Karl Malden, who previously co-starred with Michael Douglas in “The Streets of San Francisco” (1972).
  • Studio executives were so sure this film would flop that Robert Zemeckis was pre-emptively fired from directing Cocoon (1985). It turned out to be such a success that Zemeckis was able to go forward on his own project, Back to the Future (1985).
  • According to Kathleen Turner’s memoirs Michael Douglas originally offered the role of Joan to Debra Winger. They met at a Mexican restaurant to discuss it but, according to Douglas, she ended up biting him. She didn’t get the part.
  • Manuel Ojeda was cast as Zolo based on a previous role in the film Green Ice (1981).
  • The film’s success also led to a sequel, 1985’s The Jewel of the Nile, without Zemeckis at the helm but with Douglas, Turner and DeVito all returning. Though it performed respectably, its success didn’t match that of the original. A second sequel called Crimson Eagle was planned but never got past the development stage.
  • The film was well received by critics and is considered by many as one of the best films of 1984. It holds an 86% approval rating on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 42 reviews

Talking Points:

What We’ve Learned:

  • If you’re taking traveler’s checks, make sure they are American Express
  • When standing on the side of a mountain in the rain, be weary of mud slides.
  • This is not the bus to Cartehena
  • “How about them snappers?”
  • Always have a remote controlled hydraulically driven ramp ready so you can make your escape from Colombian drug cartels

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Pleasantly Enjoyable. I’d call this a buy for Date Night.
Ray: Hasn’t aged well, but still a fun watch
Steve: Campy good fun. Always enjoyed this movie and glad we brought it back!

The Present: Alpha & Omega

Director: Anthony Bell & Ben Gluck

Starring: Hayden Panettiere, Justin Long, Christina Ricci, Dennis Hopper, Danny Glover

Trivia:

  • Wolves from Alberta, Canada, were really used to repopulate Yellowstone National Park.
  • Dennis Hopper’s last film.
  • Key animation was done at Crest’s animation studio in India. Pre-production and post-production took place in Los Angeles.
  • The film received negative reviews and currently holds a 15% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and a rating of 8% from “Top Critics” but has received a 62% positive rating from audience members.
  • The film earned an estimated $2.3 million on opening day, placing #5 at the box office. It is estimated to earn about $10 million on its opening weekend.

Talking Points:

  • What is the audience for this movie? Kids? Tweens? Adults? Confusing.

What We Learned:

  • When filming a cartoon in 3D, put a lot of rollercoaster-type shots to justify the expense
  • Being an omega seems like a whole lot more fun than an alpha!
  • There is no reasoning with an angry grizzly bear.

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Enjoyable, definitely geared for kids.
Ray:Think i need to be a tweenage girl to enjoy this one.
Steve: Balto + Lion King + Romeo & Juliet = an “eh” movie. Kids will love it.

The Future: It’s Kind of a Funny Story

Starring: Zach Galifianakis, Emma Roberts, Keir Gilchrist, Lauren Graham, Zoe Kravitz, Viola Davis

Trivia:

  • In May 2006, Paramount Pictures and MTV Films acquired the film rights to the novel. Boden and Fleck were hired to adapt the screenplay. The film was later placed in turnaround and bought by Focus Features.
  • Production began in New York City on November 30, 2009. Principal photography took about six weeks, ending on February 2, 2010. Scenes taking place in the fictional Executive Pre-Professional High School were shot at Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn, while Victory Memorial Hospital in Brooklyn stood in for Argenon Hospital.
  • The film was originally scheduled for a limited release in the United States on September 24, 2010. Focus Features later opted for a wide release of approximately 500 theaters across the US and a release date of October 8, 2010. The film premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival.
  • To coincide with the film’s release Hyperion Books will publish a new edition of the novel, featuring photos from the film on the cover.

Talking Points:

  • Wow.. what a makeup job on zach! he looks awful!

Summary:
A clinically depressed teenager gets a new start after he checks himself into an adult psychiatric ward.

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: Strangely appealing. I don’t know why, but I really want to see this movie.
Ray: Not as enthusiastic as Jeff.. but id go see it.
Steve: Not really my kind of movie. No offense.

Coming Attractions

The Past: The Breakfast Club
The Present: The Town
The Future: Sucker Punch

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